16th April, 2014
Family members of persons who died in Monday’s bomb blasts in Nyanya trooped to the National Hospital Abuja on Wednesday to claim the corpses of their loved ones.
Many of the family members were seen filling application forms that would enable them to claim the corpses of their loved ones.
Hajiya Zainab who spoke to NAN said that as a Muslim, it was important for the remains of her late sister to be buried without further delay.
“It was said that the president ordered that corpses should not be released to anyone, but as Muslims, we do not keep corpses for too long; we always bury the dead straightaway.
“My sister died a few days ago and she should have been buried in the village two days ago; the people in the village have been asking for the corpse. So that is why we are appealing to them to release the corpse to us so that we can take the body to the village in Kogi state; we are Igala. We always take corpses home, whether we are Christian or Muslim; they said we should write applications, which we have done, yet the bodies have not been released,“ Zainab said.
Similarly, Alhaji Kazim Akpa, who was at the hospital to claim the remains of his friend’s wife, said that he had been waiting to claim the body since Monday.
“My friend’s wife died in the bomb blast; that is why I have come; the hospital officials are in the process of releasing the body.
“We saw her body on Monday. The hospital authorities asked us to return for the corpse since there is a procedure to follow before the body will be released. They say they are almost finished now,“ Akpa stated.
Hajiya Rabiah Labaran, Assistant Chief Information Officer, National Hospital, told NAN that family members needed to be properly identified before the bodies would be released to them.
Labaran, however, said that survivors of the blast were being treated at the hospital and that a list of the survivors has been made to help family members locate them.
“Those who have been able to identify their dead relations, have written an application for the release of the bodies; and this will be done as soon as possible,’’ Labaran said.
She said that the victims had been responding to treatment, adding that the hospital management had been settling the bills while waiting for government funds as promised.
Labaran also said that the Red Cross had donated dressing packs for the injured.